


February 4th - Cherry Poprocks

by Dreamkissed



Series: Dreamkissed's Bellamione V-Month Collection! [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Hermione Granger, Bellamione Cult's Valentine's Event 2020, Combat Flirting, Duelling, F/F, Fighting or Foreplay, Hogwarts Seventh Year, One Shot, Team Aphrodite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22566292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamkissed/pseuds/Dreamkissed
Summary: Before the seventh year has even started, the Death Eaters strike at the Hogwarts Express.  Head Girl Hermione Granger quickly takes charge of the situation, or at least a small part of the situation, or some measure of control of the situation.  Either way, sometimes brains do translate into brawn.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black Lestrange
Series: Dreamkissed's Bellamione V-Month Collection! [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619044
Comments: 3
Kudos: 139





	February 4th - Cherry Poprocks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [drD](https://archiveofourown.org/users/drD/gifts).



Hermione sat in the front compartment with the Prefects and the Head Boy. As much as she wished to be reading, or relaxing, she could not fight down the twisting in her gut that had her on edge. She gathered her mental barriers and met Draco Malfoy’s eyes, staring unwaveringly into his gaze, daring him to try something.

As the Hogwarts Express banked into a narrow curve, it slowed down to keep the passengers steady. Hermione’s eyes darted away from Draco’s as the lights in the carriage flickered. The chill traveling down her spine compelled her to let her wand slip into her hand. The cold sensation lacked the gut-wrenching despair of a Dementor.

A swirl of smoke billowed past the window towards the engine, followed shortly by the sound of the brakes engaging. Hermione was on her feet immediately. Her wand rose towards Draco’s arm. “Tell me you didn’t know anything about this!”

Draco stood up, slow and nonthreateningly. “Know about what?” He did not want to take his eyes off Hermione while he was unarmed. He shifted his position to brace for the stop as a staff member ran through the carriage towards the front. “What’s going on?” Draco moved to grab at the wizard’s arm.

The man paused long enough to shake off the attempt, his wand in hand. A defensive spell on the tip glowed bright enough to illuminate the dimming compartment. “Death Eaters, stay in your compartment.” He turned and continued to the engine.

Hermione and Draco shared a measured look, Draco the first to speak. “The Dark Lord must be looking for Potter. There’s no other reason to attack the train like this.” Draco’s breathing picked up, the tension rising in him.

Hermione’s response was interrupted by the reflected green light accompanied by a bone-shattering mad cackle from the direction of the engine. She took a deep steadying breath and raised her wand towards the door. “Draco, take the Prefects and work your way back, support the Professors and staff where you can, but protecting the students is your priority, I don’t think they’ll be throwing stunners at us.” She glanced at a Ravenclaw prefect. “Anthony, get in the closet and don’t make a sound until we’re past you, you know how to run this thing, we have to get it moving quickly.”

Draco directed the prefects and moved up beside Hermione. “Do you really think you can beat her?” His voice trembled, aware of how skilled and crazed his aunt was, and of her interest in Hermione.

“I don’t have to beat her, just keep her busy long enough. Go Draco, you won’t want to be here for this.” Hermione gave her wand a twist, readying an offensive spell as she summoned a shielding ward with her off-hand. She relaxed slightly, now that Draco was gone, and allowed herself to focus entirely on the coming fight.

The mad cackling turned to a sultry chuckle as Bellatrix rounded the corner into the carriage. The Dark Witch had regained her pre-Azkaban health and vigor. “Now who there thinks they can stop me!”

Hermione kept her breathing steady, waiting for when Bellatrix started to come into view before she flicked a slicing hex in her path.

Bellatrix jumped back and sent a rapid series of crimson curses blindly around the corner. “Oh that was such a cheap shot, I’m gonna have to teach you to play fair.”

“All’s fair in love and war. You taught me that, Black.” Hermione responded coolly as she dodged several of the curses and deflected the rest against the warded outer walls of the carriage.

“Muddy!!!” Bellatrix laughed happily, as she danced towards Hermione, exchanging light warmup hexes and jinxes with the younger woman. “I was hoping it was you.”

Hermione held up her shield with her off-hand as she matched Bellatrix spell for spell, enjoying the warmup.” I can’t say the feeling is mutual. Harry isn’t here, you know that.”

Bellatrix started backing Hermione towards the rear of the compartment, her rapid spellfire alternating with deflecting shield wards. “What if I’m not here for the boy?” She stuck her chin up haughtily, daring Hermione to take a cheap shot.

Hermione went for the cheap shot, sending a hex straight for Bellatrix’s face. “Aww, I’m touched, you’re here for dirty ole’ me? How sweet.” She began backing up and double-casting shields for the impending onslaught.

“YOU MORRIGAN DAMNED PIECE OF FILTH!” Bellatrix’s words blended into a high-pitched scream turned crazed laugh. She advanced quickly on Hermione, wand and off-hand casting a dark rainbow of spells.

Hermione was ready and deflected or dodged the hasty spells. She took advantage of Bellatrix’s fury, the Dark witch’s rage affecting her aim and focus. She backed into the second compartment, only glancing to check the wards were intact and the shielding wards in place. Once Bellatrix had cleared the gangway, she deflected several bolts back towards Bellatrix and followed it with a particularly powerful _Aguamenti_.

Bellatrix flicked the burst of water aside, ignoring it until she spotted the gestures Hermione was making. She threw up a shield behind her and jumped forward in time to avoid the razor-sharp shards of ice that formed a wall behind her. “Oh, now that was impressive, for a mudblood.” She added the last with a spiteful snarl. “But can you keep it up little dove?”

Hermione gave ground slower, keeping Bellatrix just busy enough to force her to fight. The _Glacius_ following the water summoning charm always was a good trick, but adding in a simultaneous _Accio_ made for an instant second front. “I’ve learned from the best. You’re the one who told me to be aware of my surroundings.” With her free hand summoning shards of hardened ice from behind Bellatrix, she began weaving curses and spells with her wand, setting an offensive pace while backing down the corridor.

Bellatrix’s laughter softened from its mad cackle to a warm happy tone as she spun and danced with Hermione, sending her own attacks towards her and the ice shards. “I’m surprised you know I’m the best.” Once far enough from the ice wall, she used a blasting hex and a summoned burst of wind to clear the hallway of it.

Hermione used the wind and spin to launch several orbs of frostfire towards Bellatrix’s back, along with a tangling jinx at her feet. “Of course I would know, you’re brilliant, beautiful, utterly captivating.” She moved back and braced herself against the wall at the end of the carriage, ready to turn to enter the gangway.

“Watch the hair, mudpup!” Bellatrix flicked aside the orbs, summoning a shielding spell to block several aimed at her face. As she dove forward over the tangling jinx, the train jolted forward, forcing her to tumble and leap up to her feet. “You sound like you have a crush on me, Princess.” She came out swinging, magically speaking. A burst of fire from her wand cut off Hermione’s attempt to flee. The accelerating train helped her movement to pin Hermione against the wall, jamming her wand underneath her chin. “Got you now my pretty.”

Hermione only smirked, her own wand jammed between Bellatrix’s legs, tangled in her skirts. “Can you blame me; I’d have to be blind, lame, and mute to not fall for you.” She wriggled her wand and conjured a pleasant warmth from it. “I think I have the better position.”

Bellatrix glanced quickly out the window, seeing the train moving at full speed once more. The sound of steps approaching from both the back of the train and the front lacked the uniform footfalls of the Death Eater uniforms. “You win, for now, Granger.” Bellatrix leaned forward and licked Hermione, dragging her tongue from chin to her nose. As she playfully snapped at Hermione’s nose with her teeth, she wordlessly cast an _Alohomora_ at the nearby window.

As the Aurors and Professors approached, Bellatrix was already becoming smoke, cackling madly and blowing out the window, several ineffective stunners splashing against the train carriage’s wards.

Now free, Hermione slid down to the ground bonelessly, finally out of breath. She ignored the awed look from the witches and wizards around her, settling for an awkward mix of laughter and crying as she looked out the open window.


End file.
